Customer Reviews

How to Deal [VHS]

5 star:		(30)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(14)
2 star:		(17)
1 star:		(15)

 

 

Not another teen movie? *groan* I expected to see a slightly cheesy teen flick when I walked into the private screening of How to Deal. You know the type. There's always the popular girl who's a real witch, a choreographed dance scene at the prom, and the popular guy who falls for the quirky lead girl. Well this was NOT that movie.

If I were to compare this film with any others I would say it had a little bit of Breakfast Club, For Keeps, and Sixteen Candles (classic 80's Molly Ringwald movies). How to Deal is an honest film with 3-dimensional characters and a solid story that holds your interest and is generous with the laughs.

Any generation can relate to this film through the colorful cast of characters. There is the pot-head (and I use this term loosely) grandma, played by Nina Foch, who is absolutely hilarious. There's the recently divorced cynical mom who is still bitter about losing her husband to a younger woman, yet not so unforgiving as to make her unlikable. Allison Janney is so real as this character, I felt as if I knew her. Then there's the `classy' older sister who is marrying a nerd from an uptight southern family. Let's not forget the bad boy who has a sensitive spot when it comes to the right girl, and the idealistic best friend who tries to 'deal' with everything life throws at her with cheerful resolve but only manages to do so because of her best friend, Halley--which brings us to the lead.

Mandy Moore's natural acting talent shines through in this character. She's a disillusioned girl afraid of falling in love because she's seen how love can hurt; yet she is coming into her own and wanting to embrace it. She's the rebellious teen with a spunky style that captures the ideal 'retro' look most teens are trying for these days. Sliding comfortably into this character, Mandy Moore rises to the level of a star. Out acting some of the most famous stars of today and definitely outshining them in looks department as well.

What I didn't expect to see was so much humor and at the same time honesty which takes this film to a whole new level. I would have liked the film to be longer. It covered everything from childbirth- to dying young- to weddings- to divorce- to drugs- to love and more. At times I felt a scene should have gone on a little longer, but with so many subjects to cover sometimes saying less really communicates the most.

I've saved the best for last. The directing. Clare Kilner directs this fabulous cast of characters and tells this story with humor, honesty, and a deep poignancy that you may mistake How to Deal for an early John Hughes flick. There's a bright future in store for Ms. Kilner and How to Deal says it loud and clear. There's a new girl in town and she's taking over. And I'll be there to watch her next one because there's no way I would miss it.

This is so much more than your typical, cliche teen movie. I didn't know what to expect before seeing it, but I was very pleasantly surprised. What's ironic is that the thing that makes this movie so good is, at the same time, what holds it back from being a more realistic, believable and better movie that it could have been. What makes this intriguing and different is the issues that it encompasses. Realistic issues such as death, injury, pregnancy, etc. But there are a series of events (tragedies) that occur that would have been better left out, for instance, the death and car accident. It was just too much to cram into one movie to make it believable. Had the death occurred beforehand and was simply mentioned; that would have smoothed out the plot a lot.

Now for what I liked about the movie. First, Mandy Moore does an excellent job portraying Halley. She has such an ease in front of the camera and is so easy to believe. The supporting cast (consisted of many prominant actors) does a great job creating the backbone of the story. The music was done almost perfectly to match the emotion of each scene. The 'small-town' feel adds a lot to the movie. It adds a warmth and character to the story. The plot of the movie is also very well written, although there were a few cheesey moments. There is a lot of depth to the story; it's very different from many teen movies in that it has many sad aspects and is quite complex. I think the thing that makes this movie is the characters. They are each intriguing, complex, and yet believable. You can relate to these characters and feel as if you know them, because you probably do. This is an honest movie about things you go through in life and have to deal with; it's reality. I'd highly recommend anyone to see it.

New Line has sold this movie short and filed it as a Romantic Comedy but I must stress it is not. It's a teen drama with some romance and humor. Think of it as a teen version of American Beauty. Though it's all rather light, How to Deal does have some seriousness and important parts.

Mandy Moore (marry me?) is Halley Martin, a teenage girl who refuses to believe that true love exists (like me). Her best pal does but is heartbroken when her boyfriend drops dead on the football field of a heart defect (err...like me). Halley's parents have split and found others, her sister is engaged to some guy and all they do is argue. It seems like the best way to deal with love is to avoid it.

All that changes when Halley meets Macon (stupid name) a geeky Star Wars nerd. He seems like a dweeb at first but his character grows on you, as he does Halley. He's played by Trent Ford and on the cover he's wearing a white vest and is marketed as a sexually neutral, non-threatening pretty boy (Orlando Bloom, Justin Timberlake etc) but that ain't him or his character at all and he never appears in a vest at any point in the movie. I expected to hate him just because of the cover but that ain't so. In the course of her steadily strengthening relationship with Macon (really, what a stupid name!) Halley learns how to deal with teen pregnancy, being a bridesmaid, her dope-smoking grandmother, car crashes, stepmoms, stepdads etc. Stuff that every kid learns. Real kids, not the kids that make love to pastries or live in mansions, which are the only 2 types of kids Hollywood thinks exist.

Taken from 2 separate novels by Sarah Dessen called 'Someone Like You' and 'That Summer' it's possible that How to Deal might have a sequel. And if it does its literary roots guarantee it will a better sequel than most.

I recommend How to Deal for anyone who is sick to death of endless American Pie clones or Harold and Kumar or Maid in Manhatten/Laws of Attraction/Two Weeks Notice/Sweet Home Alabama/blah blah blah. It's not a romantic comedy, not by a long shot. It's far more realistic than that and it doesn't insult your intelligence. Give it a go.

The DVD is in great-looking 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen with Dolby 5.1 sound. The extras are actually quite good for a change, one of them focusing on Young Adult Literature and it's definitely a good DVD for the price.

When I heard that Mandy Moore was starring in this movie, I immediatey found more info about it. I liked the discription but I didn't get to see it a the theater. I got the DVD for Christmas and I really liked it. I think that Sarah Dessen's two books are better seperately (especially Someone Like You), but then I think that about every movie that's made from a book. Books just have bettter detail. Mandy's character was well portrayed; Halley acted basically like a normal teenager. I really felt like I could relate to her. Scarlett (Alexandra Holden) was in a position that lots of teenage girls are in, and I really liked the issues in this movie. It looked at teenage sex realistically and tells it like it is. The romantic parts were fun to watch. I really liked Halley and Macon (Trent Ford) together. I especially think this movie would be good to watch if you are trying to deal with divorce or any of the issues in this movie because people can relate so well to the situations. This is more of a chick flick, though, so I wouldn't reccomend this to many guys. It's a great movie for teenage girls.

This is a ridiculously overheated attempt to cast all guys in the same unflattering light. The reason I find it offensive, it is aimed at teenage girls and really provides them with a distorted view of men. Each male character in this movie is presented as a jerk, a wimp, a loser, etc, etc. Don't believe it, there are decent guys in the world.

On top of all that, the movie has no real narrative center. The main character (Mandy Moore) basically reacts to everyone else around her. We never get a feel for who she is, or why we should relate to her in any way. The side characters, while more interesting, are presented so haphazardly that they aren't well-developed either.

I'd give it one star, but Mandy Moore is cute and fun to watch.

Mandy this was the worst script you could have ever picked. Good thing a Walk to Remember was your first movie so people could realize that you really are a great actress, but this movie made me want to crawl in a corner and die. See my greatest fear would have been more enjoyable. Sorry to be honest!!!

Ok. Ok. To the people that bashed and dissed this movie due to the movie "taking on too much at one time" I do agree to a certain point but the fact that this film deals with very real issues that are very serious issues cannot be denied. Also this movie is based on two books by Sarah Dessen and the film is VERY similar to the movie. But any matter, I LOVED this movie.

I have watched it more than once and alwasy notice something new that I love about it.
Mandy Moore is at the brink of her peak of acting! This movie proves what a talented young lady she truly is! She's likable from the first few moments of the movie and her character Halley is someone many teenage girls can relate to.This movie deals with issues that every teenage girl should be able to say "Yeah I remeber that" or "I'm going through that too." It's great for teenagers.

I know I also have a special spot for this film because I loved the book and the similarities are amazing. If you have seen this film and want to get a more in depth look try looking for Sarah Dessen's "Someone Like You" and "That Summer." Or try the "How to Deal" book that combines the both of them.Either way this movie should be given a try.

The extras on this DVD are excellent. The music videos are great, the deleted scenes are good, and the actors segments talking about their characters add even more to the film.

Highly recommended!

How to Deal should change its name to How to cram every type of tragedy into 90 minutes. The film is pretty good, but scene after scene is another tradegy in Hallie Martins life. Theres a divorce, teen pregnancy, death, car accident, etc etc. This all happens in the first hour and it gets a little depressing. However, the last 20 minutes they try to cram as much good as possible into the film. This movie just doesnt know what it wants to be. With that said, the film is a winner based on the terrific performances from it's cast. Mandy Moore lights up the screen and gives a realistic, honest, and likebale portrayal of Hallie, even though her character has such a negative outlook on life and love. Trent Ford as Mekken, the love interest, also gives a likebale performance and he will be one to look out for in the future. Allison Janney, as Hallies Mom, is hysterical, and steals every scene she is in. Mandy and Allison have wonderful chemistry together. So if you can get past the depressing storyline, How to Deal is a real honest portratal of teenage life with remarkable performance.

There are so many teen movies out there, and that's not necessarily a bad thing. But alot of the teen movies available today are well what Hollywood THINKS teen life is like. What's good here and new is that the plot of this story is very realistic to teen life in America. There's nothing wrong with a film teens can relate to, and I personally feel this is one of the best ever. From teen pregnancy to divorce to first love, this about sums it up. Halle is a teenage girl of course, and I felt like Mandy Moore played her brilliantly, probably because Mandy could relate to her character in alot of ways. Halle's parents are getting divorced, her dad just doesn't understand her, nobody thinks she's smart or trustworthy and she just doesn't believe in love. Her whole life she has witnessed people doing the exact thing: FALLING in love. And like she says in the film, why do they call it "falling" anyways? She's seen so many people get hurt because of love, therefore she wants to protect herself. When her bestfriend's boyfriend dies of a heart deffect, her friend comes to find out that she's pregnant. Not only is the father passed away, she has to raise this baby on her own. Halle has to deal with lots of trust issues in the film & whether or not to take a chance on the person she thinks she could possibly fall in love with...Meckin. A summary would make this movie sound cliche, but it's not. The cast is remarkable and the grandmother puts a nice light spin on the story..."Oh boy, do I have the munchies!" This movie will make you laugh, cry and smile...as well as relate. So if you want to see a film that's light-hearted and just about growing up & discovering what love REALLY is, then this is a film for you. It's not for a certain age or sex, anyone can relate, it's as simple as that. So make sure you go see this movie, because you will like it just as much as I did. Watching Halle learn How To Deal is everything that a good movie should be.

"How To Deal" was a movie I did and didn't want to see. I like Mandy Moore. That was just about the only reason why I wanted to see it. I enjoyed her performance in "A Walk To Remember". In fact I really, really liked that movie. I felt Mandy was able to project compassion through the character. She was able to connect with the audience. And on top of all that she had a good screen presence to her. So I knew going into the movie that if I didn't like the movie it would not be because of Mandy Moore's performance.

"How To Deal" might not turn out to be the kind of movie most people are expecting. It's actually a very depressing movie. I was expecting a lighthearted fun movie. Something a little more mainstream. But no. It's a sad sombering movie. Most people will recall the movie "Crossroads" with Britney Spears. There too one of the problems people had with that movie was they were not prepared to see a movie as sad as that. "How To Deal" I feel will suffer the same reaction. In fact the theatre I went to was just about empty except for a few 12-14 year old girls.

Another problem I have with the movie is the characters. They are one dimensional. They are like cardboards. Flat and lifeless. The characters in this movie serve no other functions then to appear when needed in the story. Characters are introduced in the film and long periods of time go by until we see them again. There were a few moments in the film when I found myself asking "who is that?" I had forgotten who the characters were. Take for example the character Scarlett (Alexandra Holden) she plays Halley's (Mandy Moore) best friend. Scarlett is expecting a baby. But once we find out she is expecting she vanishes from the movie only to return again at the very moment she is due. Apparently nothing important happened to this character between points "A" and "B". The movie throws a lot of characters into the movie and just doesn't seem able to balance everything out properly where we actually care about these people. We don't! I never for a moment cared about Halley. I never felt sorry or happy for her.

Now with all I've said about this movie I still think Mandy Moore can act. As with any other actress or actor no matter how talented they are if you are in a bad movie you are in a bad movie. Sure, sometimes "star power" accounts for something. Take the movie "Legally Blonde". It's actually not a very good movie. It's not well written and is predictable but Witherspoon manages to carry the movie and bring it to a new level. Because we like her so much. I thought perhaps "How To Deal" might have the same fate. It might not be a good movie but Moore would elevate it to the next level. Not so.

"How To Deal" is based on a collection of novels by Sarah Dessen entitled "Someone Like You" and "That Summer". I've never read these novels but I wonder if they are as sappy and depressing and as poorly written as this movie. Or must we blame the screenplay by Neena Beber? I would appreciate someone e-mailing me and telling me what exactly was the tone of the two books?

I understand Mandy Moore has quite a few movies upcoming. I can only hope that they are better than this. She can act. And if she wants to act in serious dramas that's fine. I bet she can pull it off. But, she needs to pick better projects. Movies that have fully developed characters. Movies that seem to breathe and have life to them. I still have hope for Moore. And I await her next movie.

Bottom-line: Sad depressing movie with bad characters that never come to life. The movie has plenty of ideas but not one is done properly. Feels very long and is not paced correctly.